North Dakota

Don’t blame yourselves, Killdeer … blame Gaylon

Published

2 years ago

November 3, 2024

Don’t blame yourselves, Killdeer … blame Gaylon

Weekends mean nothing to a sportswriter without work. We don’t even technically know what they are, until around the end of May, but sports keep us out of trouble.

Sometimes.

With big Saturday plans — and the kickoff of going up to Killdeer to cover the Class A North Dakota quarterfinals — the game started at a breakfast-ish 12:30 slot and an opportunity to have a little “weekend fun” on the back-end of the game at roughly 4 pm on a Saturday: Ideal timeframe for an early bout of postgame amusement.

Like an idiot I wore cowboy-boots, because I look great in cowboy-boots (they really bring out my eyes), and temporarily forgot how unlucky my totems are. You see, the Cowboys were the only local game left on Saturday’s slate, and I just didn’t plan that well, and my crystal-ball is in storage.

I figured I would fold in a trip to Players Sports Bar & Grill during my travel-back and, perhaps, see by main-man, “Handsome Rob,” as a sidebar, while maybe chatting with an interested female companion who might wanna hear about my (ostensibly) awesome day covering football 30-miles north.

Maaaaan, I actually thought WAAAAY too-far ahead …

I’m Scots-American, and my Grandpa Crabbe was born in Glasgow, so that brings with it a firm belief in jinxes. Yes, I knock 3 times on wood to dispel any potential harbinger and recognize the mystical forces of the universe I have zero control over, in the interest of warding off the metaphysical “demons.”

My Dearly-departed-Dad thought this is all nonsense, but he always was wrong.

I have a propensity to wear RED during My Beloved Liverpool’s games, in only odd-numbers of clothing items … (trust-me, it works) and about 20 months ago I figured I might try it with big Trinity High School games.

Sadly, the precognition fell flat on its face. Three of the 4 times I wore RED to Trinity games, they lost. Not-just a week-2 game against Des Lacs-Burlington, mind-you, but the big-uns. So RED is out, forthwith, because I’m bad-luck (wearing RED) when I go to the BAC or the KofCAC. The same is true of orange, royal-blue, maroon, navy-blue or any of the school colors in our coverage area; the risks are just too-great-to-take.

And I don’t do it because — obviously — I’m a jinx when I pull that stunt.

Fast-forward to my fashion faux-pas on Saturday …

I don’t want a single Cowboys player to blame themselves for their loss to Langdon Area-Munich; it rests squarely upon my bootheels. I forgot how criminally unlucky I am when I try this act (unless you count Saturday morning watching Liverpool, because we won, 2-1, over Brighton & Hove Albion while I was wearing RED … I guess it only works when I’m supporting “the Reds” ((it’s not an exact-science)).

Killdeer came up 3-yards short of tying or winning the game in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter, down 44-41, and it’s all my fault. Doggone boots demolished the home-team’s chances … and I was in the pressbox the whole time, realizing what I had done. A thin-layer of sweat breaking out over my body, despite the chilly weather.

In short, I feel bad for my fashion-choices; I shoulda-known-better. (Or turned around in Manning when it dawned on me, in order to go home and change my shoes … like a responsible person.)

So, forthwith, if you see me walking through the gates wearing your team’s colors and/or any references to your mascots, discuss the matter with a coach or usher and have me impolitely escorted out … because I’ve been here before and I know the damage it does. Just in case I weasel my way through, absentmindedly towards your doom, feel free to tackle me or remind me of my perennial jinx-ish-ness, or punch me squarely in the bridge of my nose (the sports-Moms, not the sports-Dads … I’m scared witless over the size of you-dudes).

In the end, I was an upside-down-horseshoe/bad-penny/unmitigated-jinx and you have nobody to blame but myself.

It won’t happen again, but if it does: You’ve been warned.

Gaylon is a sportswriter who originally is from Jensen Beach, Fla. and his column appears weekly. He can be reached at

gparker@thedickinsonpress.com

and/or 701-456-1213.

Opinion by
Gaylon Wm. Parker

Gaylon is a sportswriter from Jensen Beach, Fla., but has lived all over the world. Growing up with an athletic background gave him a love of sports that led to a journalism career in such places as Enid, Okla., Alamogordo, N.M., Pascagoula, Miss. and Viera, Fla. since 1998. His main passion is small-town community sports, particularly baseball and soccer.

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North Dakota

Cramer: ND-Norway defense partnership strong

Published

5 hours ago

May 16, 2026

Press Room

Cramer: ND-Norway defense partnership strong

Submitted Photo
U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-ND, spoke about the connection between North Dakota, the United States and Norway at the 12th annual Norwegian-American Defense Conference held April 17, where he delivered the congressional keynote address.

WASHINGTON – North Dakota’s deep Norwegian roots reflect the broad, long-standing relationship between the United States and Norway, one built on shared values, cultural ties and security cooperation.

U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-ND, spoke about the connection between the two countries at the 12th annual Norwegian-American Defense Conference held April 17, where he delivered the congressional keynote address.

He described the bond as historic and strategic, but also personal. His great-great-great grandfather, Erik Hjelden, fought in the Norwegian War of Independence prior to Norway adopting a constitution on May 17, 1814, Norway’s Independence Day known as Syttende Mai.

Starting in the 1870s, Scandinavian immigrants from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland settled across what is now North Dakota. Today, one-third of the state’s population is of Norwegian descent, and North Dakota has the highest percentage of citizens with Norwegian ancestry of any state in the nation.

“I love the theme of this year’s conference, ‘From Seabed to Space,’ because I do think the size of the country is not nearly as important as the dynamic that happens when one plus one equals more than two,” Cramer said. “At a time when there’s talent on the factory floor, and talent in the executive suites, and talent in the engineering room, that we may have one or the other, maybe all. But together the dynamic of it is so much greater.”

Cramer emphasized how this foundation now supports a modern defense partnership. He said the United States and Norway are working together on Arctic security, aiming to strengthen interoperability and improve readiness across multi-domain operations. This alliance plays a key role in addressing today’s international security challenges.

Cramer also recognized the U.S.-Norway partnership through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as well as the history between the two countries.

“When you look at a globe, it illustrates why the Arctic is so important,” continued Cramer. “None of us can protect our silo without protecting our country, without protecting our continent, without protecting our hemisphere, without protecting ourselves. We protect one another by protecting ourselves, and we protect ourselves by protecting one another.”

Throughout his years in Congress, Cramer has been active in the House and Senate Friends of Norway caucuses. He hosted former Norwegian Ambassador to the U.S. Anniken Krutnes when she visited North Dakota in 2024, highlighting the state’s Norwegian heritage, economic strength and its role in advancing U.S.-Norway defense and national security cooperation. During the visit, Krutnes and Cramer emphasized the importance of strong alliances and the longstanding partnership between the two nations during various community stops, including events at the Sons of Norway Kringen Lodge and First Lutheran Church. The visit also focused on defense priorities, with a briefing at the North Dakota National Guard’s 119th Wing regarding the mission of the “Happy Hooligans,” before concluding with a public reception ahead of the Fargo premiere of the Norwegian film Songs of Earth.

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North Dakota

Memorial service at North Dakota State Capitol honors fallen officers

Published

18 hours ago

May 15, 2026

Press Room

Memorial service at North Dakota State Capitol honors fallen officers

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North Dakota

Dust storms rage in North Dakota and South Dakota

Published

1 day ago

May 15, 2026

Press Room

Dust storms rage in North Dakota and South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Roads in northwest North Dakota are reporting extremely low visibility due to blowing dust and dirt.

The North Dakota Highway Patrol shared photos of an intense dust storm that led to a crash in Williams County on Highway 85 at 1:30 p.m.

Photo courtesy of the North Dakota Highway Patrol
Photo courtesy of the North Dakota Highway Patrol
Photo courtesy of the North Dakota Highway Patrol

The NDHP is advising the public to stay home if possible, and if you must travel, slow down, turn on your headlights, increase following distance, and be prepared for rapidly changing conditions.

KELOLAND News also received photos from our viewers of dust storms in South Dakota.

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